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Sorrento from Rome without any connections

Most people travelling to Sorrento from Rome will take the train (Trenitalia from Termini Station or ITALO Treno from Tiburtina Station) to Napoli Centrale, then the unreserved Circumvesuviana commuter train to Sorrento. The reserved train takes either 70 minutes or two hours (depending on whether a Trenitalia Frecciarossa/ITALO treno or a Trenitalia Intercity), and the Circumvesuviana another 65 minutes or so. That makes travel time (exclusive of the connection in Naples) anywhere between two and three hours. Circumvesuviana trains depart every 30 minutes on average.

This is the "conventional" solution for travel from Rome to Sorrento.

But there is a way to get to Sorrento without a single connection!

This solution is particularly useful for people with mobility problems, those who may have difficulty lifting luggage on and off trains, or those who simply prefer to avoid the Circumvesuviana train, which is known to get quite crowded during commute times.

The solution is to take the DIRECT Marozzi bus from Rome's Tiburtina bus depot all the way to Sorrento (Circumvesuviana station). The Tiburtina bus depot is located 300 meters from Rome's Tiburtina train/metro station, which is conveniently connected every 15 minutes by Trenitalia unreserved airport train to FCO Airport. It takes about five minutes to walk from the train/metro station entrance to the bus depot.

There is a year-round Marozzi bus at 15:00, arriving in Sorrento at 19:00. The bus operates Monday through Saturday, but NOT on Sunday. The mid-afternoon departure makes for an easy connection from many incoming flights to both Fiumicino (FCO) and Ciampino (CIA) airports.

From June 1 through September 30, there is a SECOND bus departure DAILY at 7:00 a.m., arriving in Sorrento at 10:45. (This bus continues on to Positano, Praiano and Amalfi).

The one-way fare to Sorrento is 18 Euros. Advance reservations are optional but not mandatory.

1. Direct service. No need to haul luggage between trains at Napoli Centrale. No need to lift luggage on and off trains. Stow luggage in the underfloor baggage compartment of the bus.

2. Cheap: only 18 Euros, versus 23 (Intercity), 36 (Eurostar Italia) or 43 (Frecciarossa) Euros on the Trenitalia train to Napoli Centrale, plus 4 Euros on the Circumvesuviana train to Sorrento. (There is also the unreserved Trenitalia "regionale" train from Rome to Naples for only 11.20 Euros, but it takes over 2.5 hours. There are also cheaper discounted fares on both Trenitalia and ITALO Treno reserved trains which have significant restrictions).

3. Unless you take the fast and expensive high-speed train (Frecciarossa or ITALO Treno), the direct bus is not so slow, considering that the train solution (using the Trenitalia Intercity train) will take over three hours.

4. Guaranteed seating all the way to Sorrento. By contrast, the unreserved Circumvesuviana commuter train sometimes has lots of standing passengers.

5. No problem with luggage. By contrast, you must keep luggage by your seat (or next to your legs) on the Circumvesuviana train.

Additionally, from Sorrento at 17:00, arriving Rome at 21:00 (daily, from June through September only).

NOTE: Competitor bus operator Curreri is not running buses on this route at this time.

OPINION: Don't discard the Marozzi bus solution out of hand. It has somewhat limited appeal, but is nonetheless a very welcome option.

CAUTION: In view of the fact that many public transportation services in Italy have experienced cuts in the recent past, and because such service reductions may continue or even become deeper in the future, travellers interested in the Marozzi direct bus between Rome and Sorrento are urged to consult the Marozzi website from time to time, to confirm regularity of service and schedules. At the moment, web schedules on this route are current only through the end of 2012. This cautionary statement is especially true during the winter months, when the Marozzi bus between Rome and Sorrento might not operate six days per week on a consistent basis.

Fares and schedules quoted above are current as of the moment, but are subject to change without notice.

When we went from Rome to Sorrento last May, we used the Mini fares (now under another name but still 9 Euro) for the fast train and got the Naples Arte card at the Naples station that made the Circumvesuviana free (the admissions to sites covered the Arte Card cost). With the Circumvesuviana running every 30 minutes, the maximum connection time is 45 minutes if you just miss a train. The Circumvesuviana was not at all full mid-day. 3 hours total, no bus, my choice of time of day.

It goes without saying that Trenitalia's "rock-bottom" SUPER ECONOMY fare of 9 Euros is the "non plus ultra" in rail transportation today (at least within Italy)!

Also, both the CAMPANIA ARTECARD (entire region - 3 days) as well as the UNICO CAMPANIA 3T Tourist Ticket, provide FREE transportation on all Circumvesuviana trains (as well as much more bus, metro, funicular and train transportation within the Campania Region).

So yes, it is indeed possible to travel between Rome and Sorrento for only 9 Euros (versus the 18 euros for the Marozzi direct bus)!!!

Nevertheless, people who want to take the Marozzi direct bus between Rome and Sorrento often care less about price as they do about the convenience of not having to connect (which sometimes can be due to mobility issues or other physical limitations).

Of course, with trains between Rome and Naples (and between Naples and Corrento) every 30 minutes on average (versus only one or two buses to Sorrento), the vast majority of travellers on this route use the train!